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Farleigh House

Introduction

The estate has enjoyed a significant renaissance since the late 1980s when the house and estate has been restored as a family home. Essential remedial work and new designs carried out in the gardens in the 1980s are beginning to mature, and are now opened to the public during the annual Open Gardens Scheme.

In the late 1980s, the present 10th Earl commissioned John Phibbs - Historic Parks Consultant and Georgia Langdon - Historic Gardens Consultant to advise and draw up designs for reinstatement works to the park & gardens. New allées were planted, and gardens laid out formally in keeping with the period of Farleigh House.

New elements include:. Major restoration of the walled garden including vegetable plots, glasshouse, & yew allées. Rose garden with octagonal pool graced by a ‘Coade-stone' whale and mermaid fountain sculpted by Phillip Thomason.. A wild rose garden with drifts of spring flowers. Topiary work by head gardener Andrew Woolley. Hedge lined serpentine walk to the south of the mansion leading to an enclosed mirror pool with abstract sculpture in white marble. New avenue from the serpentine walk leading south into the park and to the new lake beyond.. New ornamental gates in the woodland. Cedrus libani row -planted in accordance with the 18th c landscape plan - tree felling application in 1989/90.

Significance:

Farleigh Park has a long association with the Wallop family. Queen Elizabeth 1st was entertained here by Sir Henry Wallop.Historic Park and Gardens consultants John Phibbs and Georgia Langdon were involved in the new designs for the restoration of the gardens that include a sculpture by important 20th c sculptor Phillip Thomason.

Landscape Planning Status :

AONB Yes

SSSI No

SINC Yes

TPO No

Ancient Woodland Inventory Map 32, Great Wood & Bedlams Plantation and Nutley Wood are identified as ancient semi-natural woodland. Other woods are classified as ancient replanted.

Research: EM Consultants for Basingstoke & Deane: September 2009

Detailed description contributed by Hampshire Gardens Trust 09/04/2015

History

Farleigh Wallop is a small hamlet situated to the south west of Basingstoke and south of the M3, during the construction of which a significant part of the lands were separated from the main estate, and sold off in the mid 1960s and 1984.

Recorded as Ferlege in 1086 [Domesday Survey], the overlordship at the time of the Norman Conquest was held by the king. Wallops have been in posession of this manor since 1460. In 1591 Queen Elizabeth 1st was a guest of Sir Henry Wallop of Farleigh House. It is described as a big courtyarded manor house - of clunch and flint. There is no evidence of emparkment, although Nordern's map of 1695 indicates a pale, and free warren was granted to Sir Henry Wallop by James I in the early 17th century. In 1667 Farleigh House was burnt. One wing of the house was rebuilt in 1731 by the 1st Earl for his son Lord Lymington. Farleigh was the dower house of the widow of the 2nd Earl until her death in 1812.

The grounds of the park, occupy most of the south-west corner of the parish. The Grade 11* house sits on a plateau and enjoys extensive views across the park to the east, framed by the trees of the Great Wood. Farleigh Wallop hamlet consists of a group of 18th century cottages and farmhouses. The house itself lies immediately south of the hamlet, out-buildings and stables becoming part of the street landscape, as does the high wall running along the south side of the village street enclosing the kitchen garden.

In 1935 Mr. H.S. Goodhart-Rendel was commissioned by the 8th Earl to renovate the house, a new front was built and some additional accommodation on to what had been the back of the house. The garden side - octagonal centre - had been the entrance to the dower house. To the left of the forecourt is a walled enclosure against the blank wall of the 17th century stable wing, containing a bathing pool. Original features of the park include the gate piers with Coade Stone mermaids made for Lord Portsmouth around 1785 and brought from Hurstbourne Priors - original seat of the Portsmouths, the avenue of oaks leading to the house and a small formal garden, ornamental iron gates and fence. After the 2nd World War the house was let by trustees to a prep school.

Detailed history contributed by Hampshire Gardens Trust 09/04/2015

Period

Medieval (1066 to 1540)

Features & Designations

Designations

  • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

  • Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation

  • Ancient Replanted Woodland

  • Ancient and Semi Natural Woodland

Key Information

Type

Park

Purpose

Ornamental

Principal Building

Domestic / Residential

Period

Medieval (1066 to 1540)

Survival

Extant

Hectares

653.5

Civil Parish

Farleigh Wallop

References

Contributors

  • Hampshire Gardens Trust

  • EM Consultants

Related Documents
  • CLS 1/664

    Farleigh Park: A Survey of the Landscape - Hard Copy.

    JL Phibbs, Debois Landscape Survey Group - 1989